Shroom boom? Psilocybin mushroom dispensaries sprouting up in Vancouver
More and more magic mushroom dispensaries are popping up around Vancouver, and some say the movement is just getting started.
“There’s a lot of demand for mushrooms and psychedelic products out there,” said Dana Larsen, owner of Magic Mushroom Dispensary in the Downtown Eastside. “I know of at least four places in the city that are operating, there might be more, I’m not sure, but I fully expect there to be several dozen by the end of the year.”
Larsen’s business sells a variety of psychedelics including LSD and peyote, but his most popular item is magic mushrooms. It’s currently against federal law to sell many of the items in Larsen’s shop, including psilocybin, the substance derived from the mushroom’s root.
“I think we’ve already created a pathway with cannabis that involved hundreds of shops across the country openly selling cannabis before it was legalized,” said Larsen, a drug advocate who pushed for cannabis legalization. “I think we’re going to see a very similar path with mushrooms.”
One lawyer who specializes in the field says Larsen and other shop owners are operating in a legal grey area, similar to cannabis shops before the drug was legalized by the federal government.
“Certainly a police officer is entitled to enforce the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act,” said Jack Lloyd, a cannabis and psychedelics lawyer. “Thus far they have not done so, which, in my view, really relates to the fact that so many people are using these psychedelic substances for medical purposes and it’s not drug trafficking in the sense that the police are accustomed to.”
In a statement to CTV News, Vancouver police said “anyone who traffics psilocybin, specifically those who contribute to violence and organized crime, could face arrest and charges.”
Larsen says he has yet to be targeted by the police. However, bylaw officials recently sent him a notice.
“They have sent us a letter a few months ago, chastising us and telling us to stop selling mushrooms or they’ll start fining us,” said Larsen. “We haven’t received any fines yet, but I would not be surprised if we did.”
He says he’s prepared for whatever comes his way when it comes to enforcement.
“I think, like with cannabis dispensaries, there’s going to be some legal challenges but ultimately, I think, we’re going to prevail.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Mystik Dan wins the 150th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in a three-horse photo finish
Mystik Dan won the 150th Kentucky Derby in a photo finish, edging out Forever Young and Sierra Leone for the upset victory.
Bodies recovered in Mexico likely 2 Australians, 1 American who went missing: officials
Three bodies recovered in an area of Baja California are likely to be those of the two Australians and an American who went missing last weekend during a camping and surfing trip, the state prosecutor’s office said Saturday.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Work stoppage possible as WestJet issues lockout notice to maintenance engineers' union
A lockout notice issued by WestJet to a union representing aircraft maintenance engineers could result in a work stoppage next week.
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
Princess Anne lays wreath at B.C. veteran's cemetery; receives 21-gun salute
Princess Anne paid tribute to veterans buried at a cemetery in British Columbia today, laying a wreath to honour the more than 2,500 military personnel and family members buried there.
London Drugs begins 'gradual reopening' on 7th day after cyberattack
Almost a week after all London Drugs stores across Western Canada abruptly closed amid a cyberattack, they began a "gradual reopening" on Saturday.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.